feminist themes
Ok, maybe I've been re-reading The Feminine Mystique a bit, but I saw this muddled movie as a satire about the illusions that even a phenomenally bright girl learns to covet in her life, after neglect and mistreatment, and the hypocrisy of a society that reinforces these illusions and then blames her for them at the same time.
Witness the cold manner in which she is dumped by the two boys for being overly promiscuous. And the seemingly blasee acceptance from the rest of the world of the movie. Even she doesn't object to being treated this way. Her retaliation, when it does come, is aimed at her friend, not the aggressors, and is therefore cold comfort. (This is the impact of the ending, IMO). As if they only had themselves to blame, (or, the blameworthy are able to exempt themselves with apathy or direct aggression, as the father does by continually blaming her), the girls are never really on each other's sides.
Brittany doesn't object when she finds out the truth from Troy of why he dumped Kim. And everyone else is too busy getting their rocks off: the two casting directors, the father's self-absorption, the absentee mother, the tacit sexual indulgences of would-be role-models, Mr. Anderson and his sidekick.
I love how this movie details so many of the steps women go through to being subverted and abandoning themselves and, powerless otherwise, becoming the oppressors of other women.
A few highlights of these "steps" in my opinion:
-The utmost goal of this genius girl is to be an actress, merely to be seen. Other goals: the big 3 (blond, beautiful and hourglass figure); being the girlfriend of the hottest hottie.
-The betrayal by her best friend, eager to step into Kimberly's place with Troy.
-The knowing manner, in which the girls have become the sexual aggressors, in their own eyes (Kim's sexual politicking with her various partners) and those of the men (the two teachers talking about the girls as trouble--the funniest scene I thought).
No wonder Kimberly learns how to manipulate and use sex as a weapon. Duh.